Call to Action: Google Supports Earth Day 2015

Between April 22 (Earth Day) and April 30, 2015 the charity-focused arm of Google will be supporting wildlife conservation groups by matching donations up to $20,000 for each group. Depending on the country you are donating from some or all of your donation may be tax-deductible.

Maasai Wilderness Conservation Trust – The Maasai Trust employs 250 people in a part of Kenya with tremendous wildlife diversity and heritage. The Trust funds education and supports a coexistence between the Maasai and the wildlife around them, as their ancestors lived for generations, while also improving the opportunities of the people in the community. The Fund also supports a local Predator Compensation Fund, which pays farmers for livestock lost to predators so that farmers do not lose money and do not feel the need to retaliate against nearby predators.

Virunga Fund – Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo is the continent’s oldest national park and is the subject of the recent Netflix documentary called Virunga. Virunga is home to more species of mammals, reptiles, and birds than any other protected area. It is also surrounded by ongoing regional conflicts involving anti-government rebel forces, insurgent militias, foreign rebels, and remnants of those that perpetrated the Rwandan genocide. You can read about the history of the park here. A CITES program to monitor elephant poaching in Central Africa, with sites in Virunga, has identified the region as having consistently unsustainable levels of elephant poaching since 2007 (page 19).

World Wildlife Fund – Among the largest and most influential wildlife conservation organizations. WWF supports conservation legislation, projects, education, and scientific research and publications. They also help fund other organizations who rely on large donors to support expensive projects.

WildAid.org – Instrumental in creating anti-ivory, anti-horn, anti-shark fin awareness campaigns in China. Some of these advertisements have achieved very high visibility by feature icons such as Yao Ming and Li Bingbing. You can read their March, 2015 publication on Ivory Demand in China 2012-2014 (PDF) to get an idea as to the kind of work they do and the results that they’ve had. They also have a publication on Rhino Horn Demand in China 2012-2014 (PDF).

Zoological Society of London – Promotes local (UK) and international education, conservation, and research. The ZSL also relies on support to maintain the London Zoo (opened to the public in 1847) and Whipsnade Zoo (est. 1931).